Bushwhacked Backyard show series
After getting my first taste of the Bushwhacked comedy gals, I'm eager to see how they're expanding this year. And with five different iterations of their show, more people will get to experience this duo's off-the-walls screwball immersive comedy. The performances are small (anywhere from 4 to 30 tickets per show), so you and the audience become fast friends in a tent, around a campfire, in a hot tub, or attending a (real) wedding or (fake) funeral.
All "Bushwhacked Backyard Bonfire" and "Bushwhacked Backyard Bathtub" shows are sold out. Some tickets remain for "Bushwhacked Backyard BBQ" (Thursday, September 13, through Sunday, September 16, 6 p.m.; Tuesday, September 18, 6 p.m.; Saturday, September 22, 7 p.m. Spiegelgarden. $18. Appropriate for ages 13 and older.), "Bushwhacked Backyard Betrothal" (Saturday, September 15, and Sunday, September 16, 1 p.m.; Saturday, September 22, 1 p.m. Spiegelgarden. $20. All ages.), and "Bushwhacked Backyard Burial" (Wednesday, September 19, 7 p.m.; Thursday, September 20, 6:30 p.m. Spiegelgarden. $18. Appropriate for ages 18 and older.)
"Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
For being a self-proclaimed theater geek, there's actually a fair amount of shows that I haven't seen, and "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" happens to be one of them. The provocative rock musical played off-Broadway in the late 90's. It was revived in 2014, starring Neil Patrick Harris as Hedwig Robinson, an East German singer who was the victim of a botched sex-change operation, leaving her with an "angry inch." The show is part comedy, part rock concert, and part introspective reflection on culture, gender norms and sexuality. (Friday, September 14, through Sunday, September 16, 7 p.m.; Thursday, September 20, and Friday, September 21, 7 p.m. Cabaret Hall at the Lyric Theatre. $10-$13. Appropriate for ages 18 and older.)
"Lost in the Shuffle"
As a lifelong hoofer, I'm always game for a good ol' shim sham, but I'm also eager to see how the style has evolved from the days of the Nicholas Brothers, Arthur Duncan, and Gregory Hines. Cheryl Johnson has tapped alongside all of them. In her career as a tap dancer, she's danced with travelling companies, was a pioneering dance figure behind MTV, tapped in nightclubs and stages around the world, and became an ambassador for rhythm tap, exploring the bounds of percussive dance and expressionism by mixing in other styles as she shuffles across the floor. Throw in special guests like hoofer Katherine Kramer and pianist Richard DeLaney (among others) and I'm there! (Saturday, September 15, and Sunday, September 16, 11 a.m. Cabaret Hall at the Lyric Theatre. $5. All ages.)
"'Something's afoot...' A Literary Mystery at Central"
After putting my sleuthing skills to the test last year at the Murder Mystery at the Central Library and failing to pick the right suspect (damn those red herrings), I'm pumped to try again at the second iteration of the event: "'Something's afoot...' Literary Mystery at Central." An overwhelming turnout last year has prompted organizers to require registration for this year's mystery (though it's still free), which will hopefully make it easier to read clues, interview witnesses and find the culprit! (Wednesday, September 19, 6 p.m. Central Library: Harold Hacker Hall. Free (advance registration required). Appropriate for ages 5 and older.)
